Goblins versus gnomes
Goblins and gnomes have long had an intense rivalry. This competition has fostered a number of inventions designed specifically to show up the opposition. Nowhere is this better seen than at the racetrack in the Shimmering Flats, where the two sides rush endlessly to develop new racing vehicles — ones with little practical use anywhere else in the world. Goblins Goblin technology tends to be radical and dangerous, always pushing the ragged edge of feasibility. Goblins have short attention spans as a rule, so if they can’t get something to work right away, they either give up or move on to something else that attracts their attention. Goblin workshops are littered with half-finished projects and the scavenged remnants of inventions that didn’t pan out. While this attitude gives them more time to work on new and promising creations, who knows how many potentially valuable projects have been left gathering dust in some back corner? Gnomes In contrast, gnomes overplan new projects, producing blueprints and schematics that can take longer to make than the device itself. While this cautious attitude results in higher quality products and a greater success rate, it often takes so long that cost overruns creep in. While a goblin would scream and flee at the mere thought of a cost overrun, a gnome simply shrugs and presses on. If a project fails to work correctly the first time, a gnome will continue to tinker with it, while a goblin would usually give up and move to something else. Thus, gnomish items have very low failure rates compared to goblin items. The gnomish inventors are highly adept at creating outlandishly clever contraptions for military use. Among the many bizarre inventions created by the Gnomes are the Flying Machines that hover high above both land and sea, as well as the implausible Submarine that can move under the seas. The Gnomes are also responsible for perfecting the technique of extracting various chemical compounds out of oil to make gunpowder and explosives. . Gnomes tend to design fairly complicated devices that are relatively safe. Gnomes are in many ways commensurate organizers: a gnome can spend as much time (or more) organizing and planning a project as she does actually working on it. If the design fails, she tries to learn why, and fixes it if she can. If she meets with success, she as often as not continues to tinker with and improve the design, often for years afterward. Thus, many gnomish designs feature a high degree of complexity and a low chance of failure, the exceptions being those that dabble with chaos energy — but even then, they take steps to ensure the worst that could happen is a brief, non-fatal failure. Gnomes are innovative thinkers and are responsible for a vast variety of inventions, including more than a few that are commonly attributed to dwarves. Although a diminutive people, gnomes think big, often producing designs far too complex to ever be realized. To gnomes, technology is a way of life. Even gnomes who take on other trades often tinker in their spare time. Because of their innate curiosity, they produce a wide variety of devices that are interesting or amusing but otherwise useless or impractical. While others might shake their heads at such folly, the gnomes value all invention, no matter how unimportant it might seem. Among the well-known gnomish devices are the world enlarger, net-o-matic projector and harm prevention belt. Rivalry Both sides scoff at the other as taking the “wrong” attitude towards engineering. Goblins laugh at the way gnomes spend far more time and money on a project than they’ll ever hope to recoup, while the gnomes shake their heads at the way goblins are always blowing themselves and their laboratories to pieces. Still, both sides have their advantages and disadvantages, so neither can be said to be the right way to do things. Some tinkers choose to study the ways of gnomish or goblin engineering in more detail, becoming specialists in that race’s way of thinking and designing technological items. Someone may not need to be a goblin or gnome to specialize in that race’s engineering methodology. In fact, it’s not unheard of for a goblin to give up on his dangerous ways and embrace gnomish engineering, or vice versa. So far, the goblin/gnome rivalry has yet to erupt into fighting, but the possibility exists. Such a technology war would have consequences undreamt of. Category:GoblinsCategory:Gnomes Notable goblin inventions *shredders *Zeppelins *Clockwerk goblins *X-52 Nether-Rocket *Giant turtles Noteable gnome inventions *Arcane nullifier X-21 *Gnomish flying machines *Gnomish submarines *Deeprun Tram *Crowd pummeler 9-60 *Steam golems *World Enlarger *Gnomish Net-o-Matic Projector *Gnomish Harm Prevention Belt *Ultrasafe Transporter